GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Detroit Lions looked like world-beaters in their opener. Then the world beat them up in their encore.

Here are three things we learned about Detroit in its 25-21 loss Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

Detroit absolutely needs Reggie Bush to stay healthy this season. We knew Bush was good, based on his previous work, and the opener reinforced that notion. He was a perfect fit for the offense. And without him in the second half against Arizona, while he nursed an injured left knee, that offense fell apart. The Lions gained only 90 yards after halftime and their only points came via a DeAndre Levy interception return. Detroit needs this guy in the lineup to keep things churning -- but Bush already has sustained a hyperextended knee, dislocated thumb, injured hip and now another injured knee, all within two weeks. That's concerning.

These just might be the same old Lions. By that, I of course mean a team that shoots itself in the foot. And maybe the kneecap at times. Detroit has some talent, to be sure, but continues to lose games as they always have. "Just a missed play" here, or "a bad read" there. The Lions act like these things just happen -- and they do, but to losing teams. Contenders find ways to pull out games like the one Detroit just lost.

Ndamukong Suh doesn't need Nick Fairley to be successful. OK, maybe we already knew this. But there's some out there who believe Fairley makes Suh great, and Sunday's game was affirmation that Suh is one of the game's great talents. Even without Fairley in the lineup, Suh was a wrecking ball in the second half. He might have been the best player on the field, and was nearly unblockable in the third quarter, forcing a pick-six, a tackle for loss and a Willie Young sack. All that, with the microscope on him following last week's low-hit against Minnesota.